Collapsible tube protector



Nov. 25, 1930. N. o. JOHNSON Filed March 21. 1929 7 Patented Nov, 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NORMAN O. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ILLINOIS CARTON & LABEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 3F ILLINOIS COLLAPSIBLE TUBE PROTECTOR Application filed March 21, 1929. Serial No. 348,712.

5 ment, as in cartons or the like.

The ordinary, collapsible, unsubstantial, thin,metal tubes with necks and screw caps at one end taper toward their other ends, and, since such tubes are usually produced by 10 drawing the metal from the ends or shoulders having the necks and caps, their op osite end portions are ordinarily their thinnest portions and are consequently more likely or subject to rupture or breakage during trans- 15 portation and cartage, especially when the tubes are laden or charged with relatively heavy material, such as paints or pigments.

The leading aim or prime purpose of the present invention is to provide or supply simple and inexpensive protective means for such tubes whereby to reduce greatly the present day losses incident to the breaking or damaging of the tubes during transportation at which time they are subject to.-nu' merous jolts and jars. I

To enable those skilled in this art to understand the invention and its various benefits. fully, in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, a present preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and detailed, and, for the sake of simplicity, the same reference numerals have been employed throughout the views to designate like parts.

In this drawing Figure lis a perspective view of one ofthe protectors designed to accommodate a plu ralityof such collapsible tubes, a single one 1 being. presented in dotted lines;

By reference to the drawing, it will be per- 'ceived that one of the protectors comprises a single, folded, rectangular sheet 11 of paste Figure 2'indicatesthe mannerzin which a board, cardboard, or the like, of appropriate thickness and stiffness, and that it is folded or bent on the cross line 12 to provide a pair of side-walls 13 and 14 which diverge from one another away from the folding line, whereby they may readily accommodate the tapered tube 15 between them. 'If desired the side-wal1 14 may be made slightly longer than its companion side-wall 13, although the exact relative lengths of these two walls is largely immaterial.

An end-wall 16, integral with and desirably ,but not necessarily at right-angles to the sidewall 13, has a folding bus 17 along which it is connected with such side-wall, and a terminal flap 18 overlies an adjacent portion of the outer surface of the side-wall 14 and is connected with the end-wall 16 along a folding line 19.

Thus the side-wall 14 b underlying the end-wall 16 acts as an e cient support or prop for one edge portion thereof, the opposite edge being adequately sustained or held by the companion side-wall 13.

, Such end-wall has a plurality of parallel slots 20, 20 through it, extending inwardly from the bending or folding line 19 but terminating shortof thefoldi'ng line 17, and each of such slots has an enlarged, flaring extension .21 reaching partway down the flap 18, all as is clearly'illustrated.

will receive the neck only of one of the tubes 15, as is fully portrayed in the drawing, the enlargement 21 being of sulficient size to aland with the flap 18 in substantially the same plane with the end-wall 16, the caps .of the loaded or charged tubes are passed outwardly through the enlargements 21, 21 and 8G Each slot 20 is made of such widththat it then the tubes are'shifted to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 to cause their necks of reduced diameter to occupy the narrower slots or openings 20, 20, whereupon the sidewall '14 is swung up under the end-wall and the flap 18 is turned down against its outer ace.

Such side-wall 14 not only performs the supporting function specified, but, by overlapping the larger openings 21, 21, it prevents accidental dislodgment of the tubes and acts as a locking means for holding them in place.

By thus grasping and holding the tubes by the necks between their bodies and their removable caps, the tubes are prevented from shifting materially longitudinally in either direction and sidewise displacement is also precluded.

The supporting protector is somewhat larger than its tubes whereby their bottoms are suspended clear of the protector or shleld and hence not subject to injury or damage.

Such security or preservation from harm is equally well afforded whether the protector and its tubes are maintained right side up or are reversed as is one shown in Figure 2 which illustrates the manner in which the structures and their shielded tubes may be stacked side by side, for packing in cartons or boxes.

The invention is not limited and restricted to the precise and exact details of structure shown and described, the scope of the invention bein defined by the appended claims which in icate that various minor mechanical changes may be incorporated in the structure without departure from the heart and essence of the invention and without the loss of any of its material or substantial benefits or advantages.

I claim:

1. A protector for collapsible tubes, comprising a sheet of relatively stifi material folded along a cross line to afford a pair of diverging side-walls, one of said walls having an end-wall integral, therewith and at substantially right-angles thereto, said endwall having a flap integral therewith and bent to overlap the other side-wall, sa'idendwall having a slot therethrough to accommodate the neck only of a collapsible t'ube, said flap having an enlarged extension of said slot of suflicient size to permit the passage of the cap of said neck therethrough whereby to allow the introduction of the tube into said protector.

2. A protector for collapsible tubes, comrising a sheet of relatively stifi material olded along a cross line to afford a air of diverging side-walls, one of said wal s having an end-wall integral therewith and at substantially right-angles thereto, said endwall having a flap integral therewith and bent to overlap the outer face of the other side-wall, the edge of the latter contacting with the inner surface of said end-wall, said end-wall having a slot therethrough of a width to accommodate the neck only of a collapsible tube, said flap having an enlarged extension of said slot of sufiicient dimensions to permit the passage of the cap of said neck therethrough, whereby to allow the introduction of the tube into said protector.

3. A protector for callapsible tubes, coinrising a sheet of relatively stifi material olded along a cross line to afford a air of diverging side-walls of slightly different lengths, the shorter of said side-walls having an end-wall integral therewith and at substantially right-angles thereto, said end-wall having a flap integral therewith and bent to overlap the outer face of the other side-wall, the edge of the latter contacting with the inner surface of said end-wall, said end-wall having a plurality of slots therethrough of such width as to accommodate the necks only of a number of collapsible tubes, said flap having enlarged extensions of said slots of sufficient dimensions to permit the passage of the caps of the necks therethrough, whereby to allow .the introduction of the tubes into said protector.

4. A protector for collapsibletubes, comprising a sheet of relatively stiff material folded along a cross line to afford a pair of diverging side-walls of about the same length one of said side-walls having an end-wall integral therewith and at substantially rightangles thereto, the edge of the other sidewall being located beneath, bearing a ainst and assisting in supporting said end-wal said end-wall having a slot therethrough extended to its edge and of a width sufiicient only to accommodate the neck of a collapsible tube.

5. A protector blank for collapsible tubes, comprising a substantially rectangular sheet of relatively stifl material having three parallel cross folding lines, the first between two side-sections of the protector, the second between one of said side sections and an end section and the third between said end section and a terminal flap, said end section havin a pluralit of substantially parallel slots t erethroug of a width to accommo .date the necks only of collapsible tubes, said terminal fla having enlarged extensions of said slots 0 a size to permit the passage of the caps of said necks therethrough.

In witness whereof I have hereuntoset my hand.

NORMAN O. JOHNSON. 

